1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adapter and, particularly, to a disk-cartridge-type adapter having the same shape as a disk cartridge such as a 3.5-inch FPD (floppy disk) cartridge. The adapter accommodates an IC card or a semiconductor memory that stores various kinds of information such as electronic money information. The adapter is inserted into a disk cartridge drive such as a 3.5-inch FDD (floppy disk drive).
2. Description of the Related Art
Disk-cartridge-type adapters are disclosed in, for example, a Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kohyo) No. 6-509194 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,043, and a Japanese Examined Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 7-86912 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,182.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one of the adapters disclosed in the publications. The adapter 1a has the same shape as the 3.5-inch FPD cartridge and incorporates a semiconductor memory 2a for storing, for example, electronic money data, a magnetic head 3, an opening 4 for allowing the head 3 to face a magnetic head of an FDD (not shown), and a battery 5a for supplying power to the memory 2a.
The memory 2a employs the same data format as that of FPDs. The adapter 1a is inserted into an FDD so that data is transferred between the memory 2a and a data processing device such as a personal computer through the FDD.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another adapter disclosed in the publications. The adapter 1b has the same shape as the 3.5-inch FPD cartridge and incorporates an IC card 2b for storing, for example, electronic money data, a microprocessor (MPU) 6, a magnetic head 3, an opening 4 for allowing the head 3 to face a magnetic head of an FDD, and a battery (or a generator) 5b for supplying power to the IC card 2b and MPU 6.
The adapter 1b is inserted into an FDD so that data can be transferred between the IC card 2b and a data processing device such as a personal computer through the head 3 and FDD. The MPU 6 converts data from the data processing device into data to be written into the IC card 2b, and data from the IC card 2b into data to be transferred to the data processing device through the head 3 and FDD.
These adapters 1a and 1b have no means to control the power sources 5a and 5b. The user must turn the power source on before using the adapter with an FDD and turn off the same after removing the adapter from the FDD. If the power source is left on, the battery thereof will become exhausted. The adapters have interfaces for establishing communication with a data processing device and an IC card. If the adapters unconditionally supply power to the interfaces while the power source is on, the power source (battery) will quickly be exhausted. The adapter of FIG. 2 employs the generator 5b instead of a battery. The generator 5b needs a large space, and if the generator 5b is made compact, it will generate insufficient power.
An FDD has a motor for rotating an FPD contained in an FPD cartridge inserted into the FDD. The motor is activated when a magnetic head of the FDD accesses the FPD to transfer data between the FDD and the FPD. If a disk-cartridge-type adapter is inserted into the FDD to transfer data between them, the motor of the FDD starts to rotate. Detecting the rotation of the motor may be usable to determine whether or not the adapter is accessed or not, and it will be sufficient to supply power to the necessary parts of the adapter only when the adapter is accessed.
The adapters of the prior arts, however, have no means for detecting the rotation of the motor of the FDD.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a relationship between a conventional disk-cartridge-type adapter and a disk cartridge drive such as the FDD. The adapter 1 has the same shape as the FPD cartridge. The adapter 1 is inserted into and driven by the drive 8. The drive 8 has a motor 9 and a processor 10. The adapter 1 has a processor 11 such as the MPU 6 of FIG. 2. The processor 10 provides the motor 9 with a rotation instruction. In synchronization with the rotation instruction, the processor 10 provides the processor 11 with a signal through a signal line 12a. As a result, the processor 11 detects the rotation of the motor 9.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a relationship between another conventional disk-cartridge-type adapter and a disk cartridge drive. The same parts as those of FIG. 3 are represented with like reference marks. A rotation signal from a motor 9 is directly sent to a processor 11 of the adapter 1 through a signal line 12b.
In any one of the prior arts of FIGS. 3 and 4, the adapter 1 is independent of the drive 8, and therefore, the adapter 1 needs the physical signal line 12a or 12b to detect a rotation of the motor 9. The signal lines 12a and 12b, however, do not allow the adapters to be removed from the drives.